Reconstruction After Removal Of Eyelid Skin Cancer

Published on August 23, 2018 by Jeffrey Joseph

The skin covering the eyelids are probably the thinnest and most fragile in the human body. Long-term exposure to a variety of harm elements and sunlight can make them susceptible to degradation and health-conditions, especially skin cancer. Thankfully, most eyelid cancers or lesions are benign and are completely harmless. They can be easily removed with excision.

Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are the most common forms of cancer that affect the eyelids. Some of the common symptoms are irregularities in shape or the presence or bumps, loss of lashes, ulcers or nodules and non-healing lesions. The diagnosis can be confirmed with a physical examination and a biopsy.

An Overview of the Eyelid Skin Cancer

Mentioned below is a brief description of the common types of eyelid skin cancers.

Basal Cell Carcinoma

90% of all eyelid cancers is basal cell tumors which takes many months or years to grow and become problematic. They don’t metastasize easily and present themselves as shiny nodules which begin to disintegrate or ulcerate. Basal cell carcinoma does not spread to other areas of the body, rather they continue to spread to neighboring areas across the eyelids. They can be easily excised and a reconstruction surgery afterward can remove any marks or blemishes post operation.

Melanoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma

These tumors are far more aggressive but are less common than basal cell carcinoma. The treatment is quite complex and requires repeated treatments for complete removal. The first step involves removing all the visible signs of the tumor followed by ensuring that the cancer has not spread.

It will take your doctor a while to ensure that the cancerous cells have not spread and repeated check-ups after the operation are conducted to confirm your safety.

Eyelid Reconstruction After Operation: Mohs Eyelids Reconstruction

After the complete removal of the tumor, the next steps involve the reconstruction of the eyelid to help ensure the cosmetic quality of the treated region. The goal of the surgery here is also to ensure that the eyelid is properly functional and does not obstruct one’s vision and muscle movement in any way.

It is advised to consult a cosmetic surgeon and dermatologist before the Mohs procedure in order to evaluate the condition and to give the surgeon removing the tumor vital instructions regarding preserving parks of the eyelid-skin.

The cancer often affects only one of the eyelids. The cosmetic surgery then becomes complicated as symmetry needs to be maintained throughout the entire facial region. Hence, other procedures such as minor facelifts and brow-lifts can be combined with these procedures to achieve better results.

The cosmetic surgeon might choose to alter the appearance of the other eyelid as well and present a better look after the operation.

The surgeon might choose to test the strength and recovery of the eyelids after the removal of the cancerous tissue. This is usually done by lifting small gold or platinum weights while blinking the eyelids.

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To learn more about eyelid reconstruction, contact our office to schedule a consultation with Dr. Jeffrey Joseph to learn more.

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